Overboard skipper saved in gale force winds

A skipper was saved after being thrown overboard when his 32 foot yacht was hit by a large wave.

The yacht had been on passage from Hamble, heading to
Brighton Marina for a race that would start the next morning.

As the crew were lowering their sails on approach to the
marina, they were hit by a large wave that knocked them down and swept the skipper
overboard. He had been using a safety line, so he remained in contact
with the yacht.

However, this meant the skipper was suspended dangerously
over the side. Unable to free himself, he was getting battered by the near
gale force wind and breaking waves of up to four metres.

The crew raised the alarm was raised when they couldn’t bring their
skipper back onboard. Solent Coastguard contacted volunteers of RNLI Brighton lifeboat.

The lifeboat reached the yacht within ten minutes of being
launched, and it took just three minutes to lift the skipper back safely.

“Praise goes to the crew of the yacht who during this
extremely stressful incident in hostile conditions managed to remain calm
throughout,” said a spokesman for RNLI Brighton lifeboat.

‘The sea in that area on a day like today is confused and
steep and I think this incident highlights dramatically the importance of
wearing a lifejacket and safety line when working on the deck of a yacht in
these conditions.”

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